Lover Earth

"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed."

― Jiddu Krishnamurti

Katrin Olina bends steel pipes into products for reading

13 FEBRUARY 2015   DEZEEN   KATIE TREGGIDEN

Stockholm 2015: Icelandic designer Katrin Olina has created a set of home products made by shaping steel tubes with an old exhaust pipe bending machine.

Katrin Olina's collaboration with local metal workshop Stuðlaberg resulted in a portable bookshelf, a small lamp and a bookshelf with an integrated reading lamp. 

Small Reading Horse is the portable, mini-bookshelf, made from two 35-millimetre bent steel tubes held together by two bars. The storage rack stands on wooden feet with oak plugs, to mimic hoofs. 

... The Bright Small Reading Horse also includes a reading lamp. "Reading horse" is the Icelandic equivalent of the English term "book worm". 

"The project celebrates reading," Olina told Dezeen. "In my country someone who loves to read is called a Reading Horse. Books are gateways into other worlds." 

The collection was developed as part of Vernacular Iceland, a project that aims to find new uses for out-dated parts and machinery. 

... Olina visited Stuðlaberg and started to investigate potential uses for the machine with Gunnlaugur, the workshop owner and metal master. 

"The project plays with two aesthetic opposites and a clash of styles; the industrial aesthetics of the tubular steel against the decorative metal parts in forgotten styles that emulate nature," said the designer. 

"It pays homage to vernacular creativity, where found objects are freely put together," Olina added. "This was the way of doing things in Iceland where in the past, resources were scarce. The goal is to investigate alternatives with the skills and machinery in the metal shop at Stuðlaberg and offer a new addition to Icelandic furniture production." Read More

How to dress for work when it's freezing outside

2 FEBRUARY 2015   ECONOMIC TIMES   JACQUELYN SMITH

(Business Insider) -- Dressing for work when it's freezing outside can be tricky. You want to be warm and comfortable - but also professional. 

"Doing both isn't easy, but it is possible," says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job."  

"When it's cold out, you feel inclined to wear as much bulk as possible from head to toe. You're tempted to pull out your full-on ski gear, especially in the Northeast this week. But you can accomplish both goals of staying comfortable and professional, no matter how frosty it is outside."  

Here are six tips for dressing professionally when it's freezing out... Read More

Japanese People Wear Even Surgical Masks For Daily Use & The Variety of Masks For Fashion  

13 FEBRUARY 2015   TOKYO GIRLS' UPDATE   IKUMI

Especially during winter times, lots of people are wearing masks here in Japan, but don’t get overwhelmed! In general (in global standard), people wear masks for covering a nose and mouth hygienically. But here in Japan, we do even when we don’t have a cold. We wear masks for hiding face with no make-up, prevention of dry air especially when you are sleeping, and protection against cold.

There are masks made for children, ladies, men, in addition special masks for pollen prevention, and lipstick resistant. When it comes to mask, it’s normally white, but one of the masks which especially getting attention is "black mask." This can be kind of sign to find people in the crowd. Because of bamboo charcoal powder, it causes negative ion that is effective for sterilization and deodorization, so Japanese seem to use mask by their purpose. 

Recently, especially among young girls, masks designed like animal, character’s mouth are popular; bear, dog, cat, beard, devil, character masks like Doraemon, Sanrio characters and anime Chibimaruko. Some artists such as AAA and Cheeky Parade produced collaboration mask mask brand "gonoturn." People copy their favorite model, idol wearing mask, wear as a Coplay! It seems that masks are becoming one of the fashion items. Read More

Sony unveils smart headset for smarter jogs

13 FEBRUARY 2015   NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW

TOKYO -- Sony will soon begin selling headphones that go beyond playing music by recording data and offering tracking functions to runners.

The Smart B-Trainer logs a variety of data on the move, including heart rate and route traveled. If the heart rate misses the target, a built-in feature can change the music to faster songs as an encouragement to pick up the pace. 

The user also has access to expert advice from a renowned marathon commentator. 

The 43-gram device boasts six sensors, including an accelerometer, a barometer and a GPS system. It can measure and record 11 types of running data, such as calories burned, distance and pace. The 16 gigabytes of memory holds up to 3,900 songs, and the battery lasts about five and a half hours. The product will debut March 7 and sell for around 27,000 yen ($220) in stores. 

After a training session, data on the Smart B-Trainer is transmitted to the user's smartphone via Bluetooth. Accumulated data can be viewed on a specialized smartphone app that helps users decide on training regimens. 

Athletic equipment manufacturer Asics will provide a training app. 

Sony is already in the wearables market, having released watch and wristband devices. It plans to soon launch glasses and a detachable device that attaches to goggles. The company appears to be trying to cover all the bases by putting out an array of wearables for various parts of the body. 

"This is a time for trying different things because we don't know what would resonate the most with consumers right now," President Kazuo Hirai said. Read More